2
1
About This Concert
This concert is designed for students in grades 6-12 and includes
standard symphonic music along with brand new compositions.
In this exciting program, explore orchestral music through the
ages, with connections to classic literature, historical events,
science, and other subjects. Note: this guide is interactive. Click
on any highlighted words or images to be directed to
supplemental resources. Learn more about the CSO’s education
programs.
On The Program:
Beethoven
Egmont Overture
Barber
Litchfield
The Memory of
Euridice (11:30)
Adagio for Strings
Saint-Saëns
Cheek
Introduction and
Rondo Capriccioso
Return to Me (9:45)
Adrian Steele, violin
Bernstein
On the Town
I. The Great Lover
II. Lonely Town
III. Times Square: 1944
Conducted by Ken Lam,
CSO Music Director
Ken Lam was appointed Music
Director of the Charleston Symphony
Orchestra in 2014. The Music
Director is the main conductor of an
orchestra and the visionary leader of
the organization. Maestro Lam was
born in Hong Kong, China, and was
a lawyer for ten years before
following his passion for music.
THE LOREM IPSUMSY P C
G U I D E -
P A G E
2
SPRING 2016
The Symphony Orchestra
A symphony orchestra is a large group of musicians
who perform together in four instrumental sections- the
woodwinds, brass, strings, and percussion. The
orchestra performs “classical music” from the late
1600’s all the way through brand new music written by
living composers. The Charleston Symphony Orchestra
is made up of professional musicians and is the largest
performing arts organization in South Carolina.
The Conductor
Brass
A conductor stands in front of an orchestra and
directs the musicians. The conductor marks the beat
with his or her hands and a small stick called a baton
to keep the orchestra together. The conductor uses
advanced knowledge of the composer’s written score
to interpret the music, shaping the orchestra from
rehearsal to concert. It’s not as easy as it might look!
The brass section features trumpets, French
horns, trombones and tubas. Brass players buzz
their lips into a metal mouthpiece to produce a sound.
Strings
The string section is made of violins, violas, cellos and the
double bass. Each has four strings and a bow, which is made
of an arched wooden stick and a stretched bundle of horse hair
that is drawn across the strings to produce a sound.
Woodwinds
The woodwind section of the orchestra includes
flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, and sometimes
saxophones. These instruments make sound with a wooden
reed or by blowing across an open hole.
Percussion
The percussion section includes pitched instruments such as
the timpani and xylophone, as well as un-pitched instruments
like the snare drum, bass drum, and cymbals. These
instruments are struck or shaken to produce a sound.
2
1
Y P C
THE LOREM IPSUMS
G U I D E -
Beethoven
P A G E
3
SPRING 2016
Count of Egmont
Beethoven’s Egmont Overture (1810)
About the Composer:
German composer Ludwig van Beethoven lived
from 1770-1827 and experienced both triumph
and tragedy throughout his life. He was one of
the most influential and innovative composers,
but began to lose his hearing and was
completely deaf by the end of his life. Despite
his increasing deafness, Beethoven continued to
compose some of his greatest works.
Beethoven is considered to be one of the
greatest composers to this day. After moving to
Vienna in his early twenties, he became one of
the first composers to earn a living without
being employed by a church or nobility. This
allowed him the musical freedom to make
political statements through his compositions.
Beethoven was commissioned to compose
incidental music for the play Egmont shortly
after the French occupied his home in Vienna.
He expressed political outrage when the French
leader Napoleon Bonaparte crowned himself
Emperor, and used this commission as an
opportunity to further indicate his own
opposition. Watch Bernstein conduct Egmont.
The Story of Egmont:
Egmont is a play by Johann Wolfgang von
Goethe set in the sixteenth century during the
Spanish occupation of the Netherlands. In the
play, Count Egmont, a Dutch resistance leader,
is condemned to death by the Spanish Duke of
Alba. The Count’s wife is so devastated by this
news that she takes her own life. She appears to
her husband in a dream the night before his
execution, assuring him that his death will
inspire countrymen to rebel and fight for their
freedom. This vision encourages Egmont to face
his demise with dignity and bravery.
What is incidental music?
Incidental music is music that was specifically composed to accompany a play, TV show,
radio broadcast, or other presentation that is not otherwise a musical production.
Incidental music for plays often includes an introductory overture that sets the tone for the
play and offers foreshadowing as to what might happen during the play. Incidental music
may also be performed during scene changes or between acts of a play. Many popular
pieces written as incidental music are now performed as stand-alone concert pieces without
the play for which they were written.
Y P C
THE LOREM IPSUMS
G U I D E -
Beethoven
P A G E
4
SPRING 2016
ment
Heiligenstadt Testa
Curriculum Connection – Science:
Beethoven suffered from degenerative tinnitus, which caused a roaring sound in his ears and, eventually,
complete deafness. He had lost over 60% of his hearing by the time he wrote Egmont Overture in 1810.
Despite his hearing loss, Beethoven continued to compose music by feeling sound vibrations. It is said that
he cut off the legs of his piano in order to feel vibrations through the floor and the body of the instrument.
Explore vibrations produced by musical instruments:
• Blow air through your lips creating a “car motor” sound to make your lips vibrate.
• Place your hand on your throat as you hum a tune.
• Place your hand on the back of a stringed instrument as a friend plays.
• Sit on the floor next to a large percussion instrument like a marimba or timpani as a friend plays.
At first, Beethoven’s deafness caused him to lose the will to live. Yet, he eventually accepted his fate and
continued composing music. On October 6, 1802, Beethoven wrote a letter to his brothers, Carl and
Johann, while resting in Heiligenstadt, an area of Vienna. In the letter, Beethoven beautifully expresses his
duality; utter despair paired with determination to reach his artistic destiny. He never mailed the letter; it
was found in his room after his death. This famous letter is now known as the Heilingenstadt Testament.
Listening Activity for Egmont Overture
As you listen to this overture, notice how Beethoven depicts Egmont’s changing emotions:
•
•
•
•
The overture begins in F minor, a dark and tragic tonality.
Conflicting ideals are present from the first phrase as the loud, rough accents in the strings contrast
the soft, imploring woodwinds.
The themes continue to circle around each other with a sense of expectation.
The concluding coda presents a proud fanfare in F major, symbolizing the Count’s heroism as he is
led to his execution.
What other symbolism can you hear within the music? How are the Count and Beethoven similar in their
experiences and attitudes? Write or draw what you think is happening while listening to the overture.
2
1
Y P C
THE LOREM IPSUMS
G U I D E -
P A G E
5
SPRING 2016
Why do composers write music?
Composers often draw from their own experiences when
writing music. Their compositions can convey political or
social sentiments and can influence audiences without the
use of words. As you listen to and study this program, pay
particular attention to how each piece reflects the
composer’s personal background.
If you were a composer, what aspects of your personal life
would your music reflect? Are there any current events or
social issues that you feel strongly about, and how might
you express those feelings through music?
Are you a perfectionist? Beethoven was
known for obsessively rewriting his
compositions. Take a look at the draft
above, in Beethoven’s own handwriting.
Barber
Barber’s Adagio for Strings (1936)
About the Composer:
The American composer Samuel Barber began
writing simple music for children at age 7, and
had gained international acclaim by his early
twenties. During his long career, he received two
Pulitzer prizes, and was the first American
composer invited to the biennial Congress of
Soviet Composers in Moscow. However, despite
his early successes, he began to suffer depression
after the embarrassing failure of his opera Antony
and Cleopatra. His romantic relationship of 40
years ended, and he struggled with alcoholism.
Barber died in 1981, yet he still remains one of
the most well known composers in America.
When he was just 9 years old, Barber wrote
this letter to his mother, clearly stating his future:
NOTICE to Mother and nobody else
Dear Mother: I have written this to tell you my worrying secret.
Now don’t cry when you read it because it is neither yours nor
my fault. I suppose I will have to tell it now without any
nonsense. To begin with I was not meant to be an athlet [sic]. I
was meant to be a composer, and will be I’m sure. I’ll ask you
one more thing.—Don’t ask me to try to forget this unpleasant
thing and go play football.—Please—Sometimes I’ve been
worrying about this so much that it makes me mad (not very).
Love,
Sam Barber II
THE LOREM IPSUMSY P C
G U I D E -
P A G E
6
SPRING 2016
More on Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings
About the Piece:
Adagio for Strings has become an American anthem of loss and grief. The premier performance in 1938
by the NBC Symphony Orchestra was broadcast on the radio and immediately resonated with
American listeners. It emphatically captured the sentiment of a country striving to overcome the
Great Depression while facing the threat of another World War. The piece has since been played
during moments of national grief; it was broadcast after the announcement of the deaths of presidents
Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy and performed by the BBC orchestra at the September
11th memorial and most recently by the Brussels Philharmonic after the bombings in Brussels. It has
also been used in countless movies, TV shows, and commercials. Watch Adagio for Strings.
The flowing main melody of Adagio for Strings seen below is used and adapted throughout the piece
and appears in the violin, viola, and cello, while the bass anchors the work.
Further Explanation
Adagio for Strings is composed in arch form, a sectional structure based on repetition that makes
music sound symmetrical. The most basic pattern in arch form is ABCBA. In Adagio for Strings, the
melody ascends hesitantly through each section of the orchestra. Although the slow-moving melody
seems simple, Barber creates a seamless effect by employing less commonly used time signatures
(3/2, 4/2, 5/2, and 6/2). The piece reaches the top of the arch after four climatic chords. Following
sudden silence, the inverted melody descends and eventually fades away as softly as it began. Below
is the second half of the main melody again, loosely inverted (upside down). Notice the opposite
direction of the arrows in both examples and how the last five notes are the same both times.
Curriculum Connection – History:
Music is able to bring together large, diversified groups of people during times of triumph and tragedy. Think
of a few tragic historical events that brought people together- perhaps the Great Depression or September 11th.
How do you think Adagio for Strings might have helped people grieve or cope with these tragedies? What kinds
of music might better suit triumphant events, like the Apollo 11 moon landing or the Olympics? On a more
personal note, what songs or types of music do you associate with specific events or times in your own life?
THE LOREM IPSUMSYY PP CC
GG UU I I DD EE - -
77
PP AA GG EE 8
SPRING 2016
Orpheus and Eurydice
An ancient Greek tale of love and tragedy
even operas. The famous tune, the “Can Can” is
from an opera called Orpheus in the Underworld
(not on the YPC concert). Read the story of
Orpheus and Eurydice in the supplemental packet
provided before continuing this study guide.
The tragic story of Orpheus (OHR-fee-us) and
Eurydice (yoo-RID-i-see) dates back over two
thousand five hundred years from ancient Greece.
This devastating tale has been told and retold in
many different formats, including songs, plays, and
Litchfield at Mt. Zion
Elem.
Character An
alysis
Cheek at
Haut Ga
p
Middle
Composition & Critique Premieres
by local composers Cheek and Litchfield
Professional symphony orchestras – like the CSO
– perform both old and brand new music. At the
Young People’s Concert Beethoven to Bernstein,
you are going to hear a short piece that has never
been performed live before. A first-ever
performance is called a “premiere.” This piece
was written during the CSO’s education program,
Composition & Critique, and was inspired by the
ancient Greek tale, Orpheus and Eurydice.
Composition & Critique is a CSO education
program in which a local composer works with a
class to write a new piece of music based on a
story. The idea of this program is to connect
writing and story telling to music composition.
Students analyzed the story and characters
from Orpheus and Eurydice and came up with
musical ideas that would retell the Greek myth.
Each composer then took the students’ ideas
and expanded them for full orchestra.
Note: The new composition you will hear is
determined by your concert time.
THE LOREM IPSUMSY P C
G U I D E -
P A G E
8
SPRING 2016
Return to Me by Kevin Cheek (2016) - 9:45 AM
with students at Haut Gap Middle School
Cheek
Kevin says: I enjoy listening to the great classical composers and learning
from them as much as I can. I drew my inspiration for Return to Me from the
narrative arc of Orpheus as well as visual art inspired by the myth. I am using
the technique of leitmotif throughout the piece Return to Me. A leitmotif is a
short, recurring musical theme attached to particular characters, ideas, or
situations. Can you think of any leitmotifs in commercials or TV shows?
About the composer: Kevin Cheek is a jazz saxophonist and aspiring composer. After touring the
United States extensively with the Marine Corps Band, Kevin began studying Jazz at the College of
Charleston before undertaking study of Music Theory/Composition, which he has done for just one
year. He hopes to one day teach and compose music for visual media such as film, television, and
video games.
The Memory of Eurydice, by Zachery Litchfield
(2016) – 11:30 AM with students at Mount Zion Elementary
Zachery says: At the beginning of Orpheus and Eurydice, there is a single and
brief moment of happiness for both Orpheus and Eurydice, their wedding day.
Using leit motifs, I will represent the characters and create an interplay of
their characteristics in this joyful moment. Upon Eurydice’s death, the music
will eventually morph into Orpheus’s mourning. Eurydice’s motif returns as a
Litchfield
ghost of the original with a thinner texture and higher register in the orchestra.
These two snippets of the story – joy and mourning – are why Orpheus was
inconsolable upon his wife’s death, and why he went to Hades to get her back. It’s the ultimate story
of love and loss.
About the composer: Zachery Litchfield was born in Arizona, but has been in Charleston for seven
years. He graduated from College of Charleston with a Bachelor’s degree in music composition and
cello performance. He has performed in school and youth orchestras from an early age, including the
Youth Orchestra of the Low Country here in Charleston. He recently had his most recent
composition, Quintet of Birds, performed and recorded in Greece. Zachery likes videogames like
Minecraft, Doom, Elder Scrolls, etc. His interest in Fantasy and Science Fiction videogames surfaces
in much of his music, inspiring him to compose music about space and fantastical ideas.
2
1
THE LOREM IPSUMSY P C
G U I D E -
P A G E
9
SPRING 2016
Listening to new music
It’s important that orchestras perform new music in order to sustain the
art form into the present day and the future by supporting living
composers. Listening to music you’ve never heard before can be a
challenge. Before the CSO’s Young People’s Concert, try to listen to
music played by an orchestra from different time periods. Then, try to
familiarize yourself with the story by reading Orpheus and Eurydice in the
extra resource packet. Then, think about how the story is reflected as you
listen to Return to Me (9:45) or The Memory of Eurydice (11:30) by our local composers. These pieces
are being performed for the very first time. Can you hear the different characters from the myth –
Orpheus, Eurydice, the snake, and Hades – and the main events and moods from the story line?
Adrian Steele and the CSO
Saint-Saëns
Saint-Saë
ns
Saint-Saëns’ Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso (1863)
Adrian Steele, violin soloist
About the Composer:
About the Piece:
Camille Saint-Saëns was a child prodigy in Paris,
France. By age ten, he could play any one of
Beethoven’s 32 piano sonatas from memory as an
encore piece. He quickly became a revered piano
and organ virtuoso. Despite composing across a
variety of genres, Saint-Saëns was fairly
conservative in his compositional techniques and
preferred to follow traditional standards. This
eventually caused his popularity to wane in
France where his pieces were considered to be
behind the times. However, Saint-Saëns was
always considered to be one of the greatest living
composers in England and America, where his
pieces are still widely respected and performed.
Saint-Saëns composed his Introduction and Rondo
Capriccioso in 1863 for his friend Pablo de
Sarasate, the Spanish violin prodigy. Sarasate
was bored with the music he was frequently
asked to perform. Saint-Saëns incorporated a
Spanish flair and extended violin techniques of
the capriccioso (see next page) to showcase the
violinist’s skills. Sarasate performed this work
frequently inspiring Georges Bizet to arrange a
piano accompaniment in place of the orchestra
and Claude Debussy to re-score the composition
as a work for two pianos. It is through Bizet’s
arrangement that Saint-Saëns composition has
become a staple for aspiring violin soloists.
Y P C
THE LOREM IPSUMS
G U I D E -
P A G E
1 0
SPRING 2016
More on Saint-Saëns’ Introduction & Rondo Capriccioso
About violin soloist, Adrian Steele: Adrian Steele is returning to Charleston
for his second solo performance with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra
after winning the CSO’s 2016 National Young Artist Competition (NYAC)
last April. He is a currently 16-year-old junior at Garfield High School in
Seattle, Washington. Adrian plays in his school’s orchestra and also studies
music at the Seattle Conservatory of Music. Adrian has received awards at
numerous festivals and competitions, most recently winning the 2016 Seattle
Symphony Young Artists’ Auditions. As a soloist, he has performed has with
the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, Eastside Symphony, Philharmonia
Northwest and the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra. Adrian is currently a
violin student of Ron Patterson. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, hiking, busking at Pike Place
Market, and collecting vinyl records.
Further Explanation
A capriccioso is a piece of music that is free and playful in style. This capriccioso is composed in two
distinct sections: the introduction and the rondo. A slow, melancholy introduction gradually becomes
more playful and animated, ending with a mini-cadenza. The rondo presents contrasting themes in the
solo violin part, united by their Spanish character. The first theme (A) energetically features syncopation,
leaps, and quick arpeggios, while the second theme (B) relaxes into a more lyrical melody. A third theme
(C) provides contrast. In the final A section, the winds play the A theme while the violin soloist has a
virtuosic part on top. The form of the Rondo Capriccioso is quite a symmetrical Rondo: ABACACBA.
Theme A
Theme B
Theme C
Curriculum Connection – Math:
Patterns help the brain to interpret information. Composers utilize patterns through musical forms and
repetitive themes to help listeners understand their music. As you listen to the Saint-Saens’ Capriccioso,
pay attention to the organization of the piece. First, distinguish between the introduction and the rondo.
Then, differentiate between the themes of the rondo. Listen for the frequent return of previous musical
themes throughout the piece; using recurring musical material is the primary characteristic of rondo form.
2
1
Y P C
THE LOREM IPSUMS
G U I D E -
P A G E
SPRING 2016
1 1
Bernstein
Berns
tein
Bernstein’s On the Town (1944)
Three Dance Scenes I. The Great Lover II. Lonely Town III. Times Square: 1944
About the Composer:
Leonard Bernstein was a brilliant pianist and
conductor who rose to fame as World War II
was coming to an end. Because he was unable
to serve in the war due to severe asthma, he
was able to become the assistant conductor of
the New York Philharmonic. In 1943,
Bernstein filled in as a substitute conductor
when the guest conductor fell suddenly ill the
night before a concert. Despite apprehension
from the audience, orchestra, and critics,
everyone was overwhelmed by his ability, and
Bernstein was quickly recognized as one of
America’s first world-renowned conductors.
Shortly after, Bernstein proved his genius as a
composer by modernizing the classical
approach
to
composition.
He
once
controversially stated that all music, other than
pop, seemed old-fashioned. Bernstein is
perhaps best known for his compositions for
West Side Story and Candide.
About the Piece:
On the Town is a musical that combines elements of symphony, jazz, ballet, and Broadway to create a new
experience for audiences. Bernstein selected three dance scenes from the musical for use as a concert suite.
The suite presents three sailors searching for a night of romance in New York City while on 24 hours of
leave. In “The Dance of the Great Lover,” a sailor named Gaby falls asleep on the subway and he dreams
of winning the affections of a poster girl. Gaby then watches as another sailor flirts with, but eventually
rejects, a young, naive girl in “Lonely Town.” Finally, “The Times Square Ballet: 1944” portrays all of
the sailors congregating in Times Square for a night of fun. Watch the On the Town suite.
Listening and Writing Activities
Listening: Bernstein recreated sounds heard throughout New York City in his composition On the Town.
Step outside into your city and listen silently to the environment around you for five minutes. Notice
birds chirping, cars passing by, or the wind rustling through the trees. What other sounds do you hear?
Now listen to the three dance scenes and compare and contrast what you heard outside to Bernstein’s
composition with your class. Writing: Imagine you are in New York City for 24 hours, and the Three
Dance Scenes from On the Town is your theme music. How do you spend your time? What do you see,
hear, or feel while in the city? Write at least one paragraph for each dance scene.